The Cottonwood Heights Police Department (CHPD) is starting to notice their annual decrease for inbound calls and crime rates as summer comes to a close and temperatures fall. Their overall statistical data for the month of September was pulled by Police Support Specialist Candie Smith (previously Terry) and presented to the city council on Oct. 15. 

“When you compare…with the (Salt Lake) countywide team that targets high crime areas Cottonwood Heights doesn’t even compare,” said Cottonwood Heights Police Chief Robby Russo. 

A total of 1,431 calls for service in September was down a few hundred calls from the 1,646 calls in July and 1,563 calls in August. The majority of those calls originated from District 1 (473), followed by District 3 (347), and District 2 (215), while District 4 saw the least amount of calls coming in (209). 

Forty-two total crimes were reported during the month of September within the city: 31 thefts, five assaults, five burglaries, and one stolen auto vehicle. This was down six reported crimes from last year’s 48 crimes. Arrest numbers are starting to dip significantly as well from 84 in July, to 68 in August, and now 39 in September. DUIs are also starting to go down from 18 in July, to 10 in August, to three in September.

The average response time for a high-priority call was 7 minutes and 3 seconds; with only a 30 second difference between Priority 2 calls (8 minutes and 35 seconds). Response times for Priority 3 calls averaged to 10 minutes. 

“We had several of our traffic officers in training, so it was a sporadic and hectic month,” Smith said. 

The number of traffic citations issued during September came down to 269 citations (and 141 warning) from the previous 372 citations (and 221 warning) during August. One hundred and fifty-one of those citations were issued in District 1; 118 citations were issued in District 2; 71 citations were issued in District 3; and the remaining 13 were issued in District 4. 

Only one of the frequently pulled statistics saw an increase. Accidents were up to a total of 43, after 38 accidents reported in August, and only 29 reported in July. 

Russo and Smith also reported on a collaborative property clean-up project. After years of complaints regarding an unkept property along 2700 East, Russo finally asked the council to consider changing their codes and ordinances related to nuisances. A few months of noticing, code enforcement visits, and fines later, the CHPD asked the city’s Public Works team to help conduct a property clean-up. Together, they hauled away 14 dump truck loads of debris collection. 

 “Residents found reason to come by to engage with us,” Russo said. “They were so pleased with the house being cleaned up.”

Now, the Public Works Department and CHPD will evaluate the costs related to the property clean-up, together with the city’s finance director. From there, a bill will be sent to the property homeowner. If the bill for services isn’t paid within a timely manner, the city will put a lien on the property for those costs.

“There are more properties on the list to clean up so we will keep going,” Russo said.